Photo Albums

July 29, 2013

I've always wanted to knit a sweater that can truly be functional in almost any season. During the summer months, you can throw this on after the sun dips below the horizon and during cooler times, you can layer it with a T or wear it on a night out with a camisole underneath.

Madagascar is knit from the top down and in pieces and later seamed, leaving the armholes open. Sleeves are picked up from the armholes and worked from the top down and in the round.

July 18, 2013

What I really want to tell you about today is my time at our community pool. I really want to rant. I really want to tell you about the hoards of people coming in with six kids each (all screaming) and how I wanted to walk up to their clueless parents and tell them that it is not okay to let their boys pee in the bushes. I really want to tell you about that one kid with a blow up toy larger than the jaquzzi who doesn't know how not to screech on top of her lungs for hours on end. I want to say that the teenagers who hop the fence and then prop open the gates for their millions of friends to just come on in and wreak havoc are annoying as heck, but I won't. I won't tell you all this stuff because it isn't becoming of me to go on about the little things. I mean there are people who would dream of having a pool in their community. There are people who would dream of getting splashed by obnoxious teenagers. There are people who would dream of even sucking on a wet, rolled up newspaper when they're thirsty.

By the way: I was at the doctor yesterday and I told her that I was exceptionally cranky all the time and was it from hormones?

"No, it's not hormones," she said. "It's just that, at your age, you pretty much have had enough."

So this is what has been going on this summer, so far:

I helped teach Girlfriend's close friend how to knit.

Loretta, when I wasn't in my knitting chair watching my neighbors come and go, filled in for me.

I took up embroidery (like I need another hobby).

By the way, I finished my sweater. I don't have a model so I asked Girlfriend to put it on. The pic is out of focus and blurry. Good news is, the pattern's fully edited and graded for seven sizes. Once I get pictures, I'll release it! (I do need a name, though.)

July 09, 2013

One strange thing about telling people what I do for a living is that probably 90 percent of the folks who don't knit respond by asking where they can buy one of my sweaters. Worse responses, and luckily there are only a handful now and then, are ones like:

Great! Knit me a sweater!

Great! Knit me a hat!

Great! I saw this cool (insert type of crocheted item here); would you knit one for me?

Next, I have to tell them that it's crochet, not knit.

And then we go silent and they go: "Ohhhh; so what about those Lakers?"

Most of you know exactly what I mean. As knitters, we are viewed a lot of different ways by those who don't share our passion. And inside our community, there are a few camps. Some people knit by pattern only. Some knit by pattern and make up a few items on their own. Some people even make up their own patterns and sell them or give them away.

But if you're someone who--and I have a feeling that many of you are--has created a unique and original knit, sewn, crocheted or woven accessory that others would enjoy, something that has an artisanal feel, you might be interested in the Winter Accessory Design Challenge sponsored by UncommonGoods. (Remember that Birdy Yarn Bowl that I got from them? This is the company that I'm talking about.)

UncommonGoods is looking for submissions of original winter accessories, accessories that you have already made or can finish by July 31st--and it's okay if you've shown your item online. Out of all of the submissions they will choose a winner and UncommonGoods will award $500 and a vendor contract. This means that you won't be knitting, crocheting, sewing or weaving until your fingers bleed. They will help by sourcing people to actually reproduce your creation and then they will sell it for you on their website.